Elaine H. HairStory!

-How did you go natural (Did you transition? What products and styles did you use)?

I’ve been chemical free for 16 months and all naturally me for 8 months…not that long I know but I feel like it’s been longer.

-What was others responds to your naturality?

Honestly it depends on who I encountered. Lol. Let’s start with my family – my mom was shocked and while she will NEVER admit it, I don’t think she initially liked it. I grew up with a family of women who straightened their hair with chemicals…that’s all I knew. Even before the perms, my mother use to use a pressing comb…like they were done when they were young. Now, she likes it, but still puts her two cents in on it. They really like it when my hair is twisted.
My sister was transitioning and actually went natural before me, so she was my biggest cheerleader…along with my aunt. I knew that I could show them two my recent styles and get an honest and supportive decision. When other family members saw my hair, some were just shocked (cause literally the last time they saw me, I had a long silky mane…and now I had a kinky fro! Lol. Some made fun, others it didn’t matter.

Most of my friends have not seen me in awhile OR they saw me with braids/weave as I transitioned (I live out of town). So they’ve seen pictures and thinks my hair is gorgeous. I actually inspired a line sister of mine to transition back to natural after her experiencing my journey. That made me feel really good!

People at work (except the ethnic minorities) actually didn’t say anything to me when I showed up one weekend with my hair in a dry twist (while transitioning). Then when I got the braids (lots of compliments) but when I chopped it off and showed up on Monday…no response. I always get a response with the longer hair (braids or weave) but never really anything with my puff or fro…..very interesting…

The ultimate lesson is that you have to love yourself even when you feel that others do not. While some of the haterizm may be out of love and uncertainty, you have to understand why they feel that way. Yes some of the negativity should roll off your back, but remember that people are afraid of the unknown.

-How did you go natural?

Surprisingly, I was a short term transitioner. I actually had planned to transition for 12 months…but it ended up being like 8 months. I actually chopped it all off last minute. Lol. It was November 2008 before Thanksgiving. I had braids in for like two and half months and wanted them out! Well, despite the advice I was given, my hair still did not play right (natural and still permed). It got knotted up and I had no choice really.

After I BC, I begin using s few CD products, Lisa’s Hair Elixir and the Rosemary Mint Shampoo…really good products. It wasn’t until now, that I really started to hone in on a set of products that worked for my hair. KBB is a good product line to use as well. I totally decided that I want to use all natural products from now on…period!

-How would you describe this experience?

Honestly I wasn’t sure how I would react to the natural me. I wanted to do something different, but it hadn’t really hit me on what I was actually doing. With taking a longer time to transition, I wasn’t fully committed and I could jump ship as needed. Lol. While that sounds bad, it can be scary embarking on this journey. I’ve had ups and downs about my new look and how it fits into my overall appearance. We all have a standard for the way we want to look, but sometimes that can be unrealistic. Initially I was so frustrated and honestly contemplated if I had made the right decision. End the end, it worked out well. I love my hair and can’t want to see what the future lies for this kinky relationship!


-Transition routine and products used

First, I continued to go see my permed stylist. She used the same products (that are good for permed hair) and would blow dry and straighten for me. I did this for like 2 months. Next, I got weave for the summer months. Again, I went to the permed stylist to clean and restyle. After the weave was removed, I found my current natural hair stylist who would dry or wet twist my hair. She used the Jamaica lime wax to twist and set my hair. While having the weave, I used your random braid and weave oil to keep my hair moisturized. For the twist, I would create my own concoction that included shea, jojoba and other essential oils. This was used strictly to moisturize my hair. Satin scarves and caps are a must as well.

The most often style I used was twisting. Whether it was a dry (when they blow out your hair then twist it) or wet finger twist, I kept my hair twisted to prevent breakage, but to also embrace my new look. My whole life I had long luxurious hair (silky mane)….so having short hair was new and fun to me.

As for products, this is where the Lisa’s Hair Elixir came into play. I made sure that I my hair was moisturized at all times. I didn’t necessarily have to do this daily, but I would do daily scalp and end checks. I also had my stylist trim the ends as needed. I was fortunate, for I don’t easily develop split ends. I was a nut…lol…I was afraid that I would damage my hair going natural, but my hair is actually stronger than I thought. As long as I took care of it, it would take care of me. …and to this day it holds true.

-Why did you choose to go natural?

There came a point in my life were a change needed to be made and with turning 30, I wanted to start a new healthier holistic chapter in my life. Along with embarking on a natural hair journey, I also was traveling down a weight loss path as well. So choosing to go natural was not just about my hair but about my life. The way I thought of myself, the people I associated with, the words that came out of my mouth, what I put into my body, etc. The new chapter was to grow as a person in all aspects of life AND learning to love myself for who God made. So the hair was just one prong of the many that was all being transitioned over the last year and half.

I’ve always had a nice healthy grade of hair (prior to being natural). Even with a perm, my hair never broke off, or thinned, etc. So with wanting to be natural (no chems, heat, etc) I was convinced that I would be even happier with my kinky coils. While I had frustrations (never regrets) in the beginning, the support of this blog and other natural sistas have given me more confidence and excitement with having my hair. Now I’m natural and loving life!!!

I’m actually documenting all my journeys in several places if your followers want to follow along:
• Twitter – efficient1 (username) (well….you are a witness that you never know what you may get with me on this. Lol)
• Blog – http://www.theorakale25.blogspot.com/ (naturality, weight loss, current events, randomness, etc)
• Fotki – Silky25 (username) – mostly where my hair journey is being documented

Before

Transitioning

After BC